Deactivator



Jan. 12,1926. 1,569,105

- P. WEST 1 DEACTIVATOR ri i Filed pril 28. 1923 '5 Shets-Sheet 1avwemtoz Per/y W651. 351 i QMom w XM'A Jan. 12 1926. 1,569,105

P. WEST DEACTIVATOR Original Filed April 1923 -3 ShuttESheet 2 awuemtozPercy Wesf WDN QQN

Jan. 12 1926.

Patented J'an. 12, 192 6.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ZPHBIR'Y WEST, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

ELLIOTT COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CONPORATION OF PENN-minc'rrvn'ron.

Application filed April 28, 1928, Serial No. 685,401. Renewed April 18,1825.

To all whom may concern:

Be'it known that I, PERRY WEST, citizen of theUnited States, andresident of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Deactivators, of whichthe following is a specification,

This invention relates to a device known as a deactivator, or deaerator,which is an apparatus for separating oxygen-and other gases fromwaterand other fluids and removing said free -dissolved gases, thereby.

reiidering the "fluid non-corrosive.

An important object of the invention is the provision of a deactivatingapparatus,

having a fluid-level governor for regulating the intake of fluid tobetreated so that a constant level of such fluid ma tained within theapparatus an' providin for and controlling a recirculation of fluiwithin the apparatus and to maintain a mechanical agitation of suchfluid.

Another object of the invention is the provision of automaticallyoperated means adapted to prevent rise of fluid within the apparatusabove a predetermined level.

.Should the fluid rise above such predetermined level, due to leakage orother causes, means are provided to ,cause excess of fluid within theapparatus to be pumped back into the source of supply, or elsewhere.Said means is alsoadapted for automatically cutting ofl the power fromthe vacuum pump of the apparatus when the fluid level in the tank risesbeyond a predetermined point, and for again applying power to said pumpwhen the level of the liquid has been reduced below said predeterminedlevel,

I also provide the separating chamber or tank with means, such as ascreen or screens, for breaking up and keeping in suspension the sprayedor atomized fluid to be treated and, in connection therewith, a systemof spraying devices for eflecting mechanical agitation and breaking upof the fluid to be treated and the introduction of such fluid into avacuum chamber or tank.

- These and other features of the invention not hereinbefore referred'towill be hereinafter described and claimed and are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of anapparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an: end elevation thereof,

be main- Fig. 3 is a section through the device showing spraying pipingan screens, and

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view illustratin the various connections.

imilar characters designate like parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a receptacle or tank ofcast-iron or other suitable material adapted to withstand a high vacuumwithout appreciable leakage of fluid or gases, said receptacle havingremovable heads 2, with transparent observation panels 3 therein. At 4 Ihave shown a double wire screen, this screen being adapted to break upor atomizeinjected fluid and prevent it from being projected directlyagainst the walls of the tank 1, thus keep-- ing the fluid insuspension. Said screen is of fine mesh, is supported on frame work andencircles the upper portion of the tank;

5, the necessary distributing piping within the tank being designated by6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, and spraying nozzles for such piping being designatedvbyll, 12, 13, 14, 15 and I An inlet opening for raw fluid is shown at16. Outlet openings 17 and 18 in the tank therefrom. A vacuum pump 26 orother;

suitable device is employed for removing liberated gases from the tank 1and for maintaining in said tank any desired. re-

duced pressure.

A motor 27 or othersuitable power deat '28. A pipe line 29, 30, 3-1, 32connects the separator 25 and the pump 26, a check valve 33 and gatevalves 34, 35, 36 in pipe line from tank 1, through separator 25 to pump26 being shown.

I The tank 1 also has an outlet 37 for treats ed fluid, a pipe line '38,39, 40, 41, 42, 43

leading from said'outlet to a removal pump vice may be .employed tooperate pump, the drive connections being shown 44'for such treatedfluid, a check valve 45 and Ya gate valve 46 being provided in said pipeline. A delivery pump 47 is connected by pipe line 48, 49, and 51-fromdischarge of removalpump 44, said pipe line having a gate valve 50 and acheck valve 52, permitting conveyance of treated fluid to the point ofuse, through pipe line 54,

55, 56, 57, 58, provided with check and gate valves 59 and 60. Are-circulation pipe line 61, 62, 63, leads from the discharge of removalpump 44 to the intake piping system within the tank 1, 64 designating agate valve and 65 a float-operated regulating valve in the line. Raw,untreated fluid is brought to the opening 5 of the tank 1 by piping 66,67, a gate valve 72 and a float-operated regulating valve 73 being shownherein.

Ali-74 there is shown an automatic float.- operated fluid level governorfor operating the regulating valve 73 through the levers 75 and 76 andthe link 77, and also for operating the regulating valve 65 throughlevers 78 and 79 and the link 80. A pipe line 81, 82, 83, connects thetop of the float chamber 74 with the top of the tank 1, and another pipeline 85, 86, 87, 90 connects the bottom of the float chamber with thebottom of the tank, a gate valve 91 being shown in the latter pipe line,and a support for the float chamber being shown at 92. The removal pump44 and the delivery pump 47 are operated by a motor or other suitabledrive appliance 93, a shaft connection 94, 95, 96, 97, 98,99 beingshown.

100 is an automatic float-operated fluidlevel governor operatingfloat-switch control 101, through float-levers 102 and 103, and link104, and also operating the auxiliary valve 105 through said lever 102and link 106.

A pipe line 107, 108, 109, 110, leads from the discharge of deliverypump 47 to the source of supply, 113 and 114 designating a check valveand gate valve respectively in this line. A pipeline running to waste isdesignated by 115, 119 and 120 are a gate valve and check valverespectively therein. Another line running to waste is shown at 121,122, and a gate valve therefor at 124.

A pipe connection from the top of the float chamber 100 to the top oftank 1 is designated by 125, 126, while a pipe connection from thebottom of said float chamher to the bottom of said tank is designated by129, 130. A gate valve in the latter line is shown at 134. At 135 isshown a support for the float chamber 100. A blowofl and drain inconnection to waste from the bottom of the apparatus is shown at 136,and 137 is a gate valve therein.

A recording vacuum gauge and a records ing pressure gauge are shownherein, the former designated by 138 and having a pipe line 139, 140,141, 142 connecting with the top of the tank 1 and having a valve 143therein, and the latter being designated by 144 and having a pipe line145, 146 from the discharge of de iverypump 47, said line having a valve147 therein.

An automatic starter and control for the,

motor 27 is shown at 148. and a connection under a pressure greater thanthat of the atmosphere a violent agitation and breaking up of said fluidoccurs as it leaves the inlet nozzles and is projecte upward in thetank 1. The fluid, now in the form of a mist, is projected against thescreen 4, which tends to further break up and atomize said fluid andalso prevents it from forming in heavy films and running down the sidesof the tank 1. This violent agitation results in the breaking up,atomizing and keeping in suspension of the fluid and causes the freedissolved oxygenand other free gases contained therein to be liberated,and ermits them to be drawn ofl by means 0 the vacuum in the tank. Theprecipitated fluid falling to the bottom of the tank may be maintainedatany predetermined level by means of the automatic fluid-level governor74.

The gases liberated in the manner above described may now be drawn oflthrough the openings 17 and 18 in the tank 1 and through pipe line 19,20, 21, 22, 23, to the separator 25, where entrained fluid and otherforeign matter is extracted The liberated gases now leave the separator25 through pipes 30, 31, 32 to the pump 26, from which they aredischarged into the atmosphere. The entrained fluid, etc. rcmoved inseparator 25 passes by gravity through pipe line 152 and 153 to the tank1..

The fluid-level governor 74 controls the amount of raw fluid admitted tothe apparatus and theamount recirculated, to maintain acontinuousagitation regardless of the amount of raw fluid handled. Said governor74 has a float chamber connected by pipe lines to the bottom and thetop'of the-tank 1, the bottonr connection permitting the fluid in thetank to pass back and forth in the float chamber, and the top connectionbeing for the purpose of equalizing the "pressures in the tank and thefloat chamber, so that their fluid levels may correspond. lVithin thefloat chamber there is a float connecting to levers 75 and 78 by meansof a rod and shaft, so that the raising or lowering of the fluid levelin the float chamber will by raising or lowering the float raise'orlower the levers 75 and 78.

When the treated fluid is removed from the tank 1 and delivered awayfrom the apparatus by the pump 47 the level of fluid in said tank willbe lowered, thereby lowering the level of fluid in the governor 74. Thiswill cause the outstanding end of lever 78 to raise, and this in turnwill raise the outstanding end of lever 79 by acting through link 80,which will open regulating valve 73. More raw fluid is thus-admitted tothe tank, raising the fluid level therein. As soon as the raw fluid isadmitted at a rate exceeding that at which the treated fluid iswithdrawn from said tank, the-level of the fluid in the tank 1 will beraised, thereby reversing the'action of the governor and closing theregulating valve 73. When the, fluid reaches normal level in the tankthe valve 73 will be entirely closed, and this automatic operation willcontinue to maintain the fluid at an approximately constant level. Itwill be noted that the outstanding end of the lever 75 will be operatedin the reverse direction from the outstanding end of the" lever 78, andthat such operation of lever 75 through link 77 and lever 76 will openregulating valve as regulating valve 73 is being closed, and to closeregulating valve 65 as regulating valve 73 is being opened.

Turnbuckles are provided on the links 77' and 80, so that any desiredrelationship may be maintained between the operating mechanism of the relating valve 65 and the regulating valve 7;, the preferred relationshipbeing such that when valve 7 3 is entirely closed the regulating valve65 will be opened to the proper extent to permit passage of sufficientrecirculated fluid from the removal 1 pump 44 to the inlet of the tankto produce the required agitation of the fluid therein. The relationshipbetween these regulating valves is such that when valve 73 is fullyopened the valve 65 will be fully closed, thus preventing passage ofanyof the fluid being delivered by the removal pump 44 back through therecirculating system into the tank 1, and leaving the full capacity ofthis pump free to deliver to pump '47 and thence to point of use thetreated fluid. The fluidlevel governor thus controls the inlet of rawfluid so as to maintain an approximately constant level thereof, and inadditioncauses a portion of the fluid to recirculate by way of tank 1,pump 44, intake 5' and'agitating apparatus back to the tank 1, thuspreventing diminution of the agitating process when little or no rawfluid is being taken into the apparatus.

This recirculation has'been found highly desirable, particularly withcold water deaeration or deactivation, as the recirculation not onlyrepeatedly subjects the water to the conditions maintained in the tank1, but also tends to always maintain a condition of agitation in whichthe water is kept finely divided. While in this divided state the air ismuch more easily released from the water. thereby enabling a more nearlycomplete separation and release of the air. The recirarea due to the'repeate use consumption on the removal and recirculating pump.

The fluid-lever governor 100, similar to governor 74, is connected tothe tank 1 in a similar manner, but is set at a higher level. v

The governor 100 is adapted-to operate an ,culation has'theeflt'ect,also of increasin the l auxiliary valve 105 and also to operate afloat-switch 101. As a regulating valve such as 73 may become "leaky,either through deterioration of the valve or because of interference ofoperation by some foreign substance, because of pressure of incomingfluid *in connection with reduced pressure in the tank 1, an excessiveamount of rawfluid may flow into the tank whenval ve 7 3 is supposed tobe closed. Under these conditions the level of fluid in the tank maycontinue to rise above normal level and may entirely fill the tankunless proper nieans are used to prevent this happening. Also the vacuumpump may be severely damaged by allowing the fluid to pass into theoperating chamber of the pump. The governor 100 prevents this byoperation in the following manner: The float chamber of this governor isso connected with the tank 1 that a rise of the fluid above normal levelwill cause a rise in the float chamber, thereby raisingthe floattherein' and causing'the outstanding end of the lever 102 to be raised;The raising of the I lever 102 first causes valve 105 to be openedthrough the action of the link 106. This opening of the valve 105 allowssome of thefluid to pass from the discharge of pump 47 out through 107,108, 109, 110, back to source of raw fluid supply, thus removing some ofthe fluid from the apparatus and lowering the fluid level in the tank 1.This removal of fluid from'the tank will lower thefluid level so thatthe float in the governor 100 will again close the valve 105 as soon asthe fluid has again reached a proper level, and this action willcontinue to prevent any substantial rise in the fluid level in the tankabove the level in the float chamber 100. If the intake of raw fluid isat a greater rate than can be cared for in this way, the fluid level intank 1 will continue to rise after the valve 105 is fully opened and infull operation, so that there is still danger that the apparatus maybecame filled with the fluid and cause damage to the vacuum pump. In

such case the further rise of the lever 102 will cause the float-switch101 to operated as to cause the motor control 148 to stop the motor 27driving the vacuum pump 26. This condition will remain until the fluidlevel in tank 1 is again lowered. when the reverse action of thegovernor 100 will first cause the float-switch 101 to operate to startthe motor 27 and pump 26 and then to close the valve 105. The, functionsof the governor 100 are therefore to first prevent the raising of thefluid level in the tank 1 above a predetermined height by opening valve105 and allowing a portion of the fluid to be pumped back from the tankto the source of supply. and, secondly, to automatically stop the pump26 if the first operation does not prevent undue rise in said tank. Thegovernor 100 thus acts to prevent the raising of the fluid level in thetank 1 above the level of the spraying devices, to prevent improperoperation of the apparatus due to interference of too high a fluidlevelin the fluid tank with the proper agitating of the incoming fluid.

The recording vacuum and pressure gauges permit proper regulation .and.maintenanee of pressure within the tank and at the nozzles, and theirfunction is well understood.

It will be understood that the present ap paratusembodies coordinatemeans for maintaining a vacuum in the tank 1, and also for controllingthe absolute pressure ratio of the partial pressures due, respectively,to freed gas and the vapor of the liquid. This insures continuousconditions Within 7 the tank such that air will be effectively releasedfrom the liquid.

On account of the arrangement herein shown and described it is notnecessary to heat either the incoming water or the sprayed water in thetank.

What I claim is 1. A deactivator, embodying a fluid cham .ber, means formaintaining a vacuum there in, means for spraying a fluid thereinto, a

screen within said chamber for further breaking up said fluid,means forremoving freed gases from the chamber, means for removing treated fluidtherefrom, means for maintaining a constant flow of liquid within theapparatus, and an auxiliary waterline governor adapted to operate uponfailure of said first governor.

2. A deactivator, embodying a fluid chamber, means for maintaining avacuum in said chamber, means for spraying a fluid thereinto, a screenwithin said chamber for further breaking up such fluid,means for removing freed gases from the chamber, means for removing treated fluidtherefrom, a recirculation pipe line leading from said fluid removalmeans to said fluid chamber,

and means for preserving a fixed fluid level therein and also forcontrolling a recirculaction of the fluid within the apparatus furtherbreaking up said fluid, means forremoving freed gases from the chamber,moans for removing treated fluid therefrom, and an automaticfloat-operated device for preventing rise of fluid level above apredetermined po nt to cause a part of the fluid in the apparatus to bepumped back to the source of supply or elsewhere withoutthe apparatus.

4. A deactivator, embodying a fluid chamher.'means for maintaining avacuum in said chamber, means for spraying a fluid thereinto, a screenwithin said chamber for further breaking up of said fluid, means forremoving freed gases from the chamber, means for removing treated fluidtherefrom, an automatic float-operated device for preventing the rise ofthe fluid level above a predetermined point to cause a portion of thefluid in the apparatus to be pumped back to the source of supply orelsewhere without the apparatus, and an auxiliary automaticfloat-operated device adapted to cut when the fluid level rises beyond apredetermined point and again applying power to the vacuum maintainingmeans when said level in the apparatus has been reduced below thepredetermined level.

5. A deactivator, embodying a fluid chamber, means for maintaining avacuum therein, means for spraying a fluid thereinto, means for removingfreed gases therefrom, means for removing the treated fluid, arecirculation pipe line leading from said fluid removal means to saidfluid chamber, and a float-operated fluid-level governor for maintaininga fixed fluid pressure in the tank and controlling the recirculation ofthe fluid through said recirculation pipe line.

6. A deactivator, embodying a fluid-chamber, means for maintaining avacuum therein, means for spra ing a fluid to be treated thereinto,means or removing the freed gases from the chamber, means for removingtreated fluid therefrom, a recirculation pipe line leading from saidfluid removal means to said fluid chamber, a float-operated fluid-levelgovernor for maintaining a fixed fluid level 'in the chamber, saidgovernor nuisance chamber, means for removing treated fluid therefrom, arecirculation pipe line. leading from said fluid removal means to saidfluid chamber, and means for maintaining a fixed fluid level therein andalso for controlling a recirculation of the fluid within the apparatusthrough said recirculation pipe line in order to assure a suitablemechanical agtation'both when raw fluid is being admitted and whenlittle or no raw fluid is'admitted.

8. A deactivator, embodying a fluid chamber, means for maintaining avacuum in said chamber, means for delivering a fluid to the chamber,means within the chamber for breaking up the delivered fluid, means forremoving treated fluid from the chamber, a recirculation connection, andmeans for preserving a fixed fluid level within the chamher and forcontrolling the recirculation of fluid through said connection.

9. In a liquid handling apparatus, a liquid receiving chamber, a supplyconnection therefor, an off-take connection to an ex ternalload, liquidrecirculating means, and means responsive to. the rate of liquid olftakefor regulating the amount of recirculation through said recirculatingmeans.

10. In a liquid handling apparatus, a liquid receiving chamber, a liquidsupply therefor, a liquid ofl -take to an external load, liquidrecirculating means, and means responsive to the rate of fluid supply tothe chamber for regulating the amount of recirculation through saidrecirculating means. i

11. In a liquid handling apparatus, a liquid receiving chamber, a liquidsupply therefor, a liquid off-take to an external load, liquidrecirculating means, means responsive to the rate of liquid off-take forregulating the amount of recirculation through said means, and means forcontrolling the absolute pressure ratio of partial pressures due tofreed gases and the vapor of the liquid, respectively.

12. In a liquid handling apparatus, a liquid receiving chamber, a liquidsupply therefor, a liquid off-take to an external I load, liquidrecirculating means, means responsive to therate of liquid supply forregulating the amount of recirculation through said recirculating means,and means for controlling the absolute pressure ratio in said chamber ofthe partial pressures due to freed gases and the vapor of the liquidrespectively.

13. In a liquid handling apparatus, a liquid receiving chamber, a liquidsupply therefor, a liquid off-take to an external load, a recirculatingconnection between said oif-take and supply, and means for regulatingthe amount of recirculation through said recirculating connection.

14:. In a liquid handling apparatus, a liquid receiving chamber, aliquid supply therefor, a liquid off-take to an external load, arecirculating connection between said off-take and supply, and means forregulating the amount of recirculation through said recirculatingconnection, said last -mentioned means being responsive to variations inthe oflF-take to an external load.

15. In a liquid handling apparatus, a liquid receiving chamber, a liquidsupply therefor, a liquid ofl -take to an external load, a recirculatingconnection between said off-take and supply, and means for regulatingthe amount of recirculation through said recirculating connection, saidlast mentioned means being responsive to variations in the rate ofliquid supply.

16. In a liquid handling apparatus, a liquid receiving chamber, a liquidsupply therefor, a liquid off-take to an external load, a recirculatingconnection between said ofl-take and supply, and means for regulatingthe amount of recirculation PERRY WEST.

